The present invention relates in general to ammunition magazines and, in particular, to a test gauge for determining whether an ammunition magazine is operable.
Ammunition magazines, for example, a thirty round magazine, may include feed lips that aid in chambering rounds of ammunition into a firearm chamber. Known magazines have an undetermined life expectancy and very few preventative features exist to avoid issuing magazines that are prone to stoppage and/or malfunction. While the problem has existed for many years, it has become increasingly visible due to the massive deployment of soldiers into theater and the present backorder of new magazines. There is a demand for critical inspection methods for used magazines that will enable reissue without the risk of weapon stoppages. Many other critical elements of small caliber weapons are gauged on a regular basis to ensure reliability of the weapon and survivability of the soldier.
To determine if magazine feed lips are within operational tolerances, the known method is a visual inspection. Many times a magazine is discarded only after a history of malfunctions. This is unsatisfactory due to the large number of magazines in use that may be prone to malfunctions. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable method of testing the feed lips of an ammunition magazine to determine if the feed lips are within tolerance.